


Part of the (Fire)Family

by an_alternate_world



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 9-1-1 season 2, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Halloween, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27298741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_alternate_world/pseuds/an_alternate_world
Summary: Bobby's on a mission to spread goodwill through the community, which leads to a chance encounter between Buck and a curly-haired boy who wears red glasses. Andthatleads to an opportunity to meet his LAFD-in-training father and lure him towards joining the 118. (An alternate take on S2A)
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 248
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales, Buddie Trick or Treat





	Part of the (Fire)Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bunnyangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnyangel/gifts).



> Written for the Buddie Discord's 'Trick or Treat' challenge for bunnyangel on AO3. There was a mention of 'found family' under the 'treats' wishlist so...hopefully this does the job!
> 
> I also used toughpaperround's prompt of members of the Firefam volunteering to make deliveries to the Children's Ward for Halloween, and ran with the idea that I added to her original prompt.
> 
> And a shoutout and thank you to Jen for reading over this several times to make pointers about areas to improve and consider to get the 'family' feel stronger <3

**Word Count:** 9,497  
**Warnings/Spoilers:** None in particular.  
**Disclaimer:** I am in no way associated with _911_ , Fox, or anything else related to that particular universe.

* * *

When Bobby announces his latest "feel-good" project for the team, Chim groans and Hen moans and Buck rolls his eyes. Ever since Bobby's been trying to rely less on his little black notebook to record names to atone for crimes that weren't really his fault, he'd found other ways to inject love and warmth into the world.

And Bobby had, apparently, realised that roping in Hen, Chim and Buck meant he could increase the spread of the good deeds by a factor of four.

It meant that a 118 Summer Barbecue had been organised for June (with a lot of multicoloured flags to tie in with Pride), followed by a Fourth of July Party (which none of them really got to enjoy because there were so many idiots in LA throwing parties with fireworks they didn't know how to use). Bobby had then declared he wanted to organise a Christmas in July Toy Drive, and they had been left with so many toys that they hadn't known where to store them all while attempting to process what was worthwhile and what was junk. Buck had ended up with a pile steadily filling up his apartment just to free up space at the station, which had led to Chim's joking – but _brilliant_ – idea for 'Auction August', which became a far better fundraiser than trying to determine where to donate all the toys.

Apparently inspired by the alliteration, Bobby had decided upon 'Schools in September'. _That_ initiative had contributed to visiting at least two local schools each week to teach an auditorium filled with rowdy kids about fire safety and basic first aid.

And though Buck knew Bobby's heart was in the right place, he really was growing tired of all the charitable causes because he was starting to feel like that guy who hated Christmas. He was just less vocal about his exhaustion with all the ideas than Chim or Hen.

"The LA Children's Hospital have created a card drive," Bobby says, handing out printouts of the web page like he expects them to photocopy off dozens and paste them to lampposts around the city. "All you have to do is go to the site, click on a card, type a message, and it will go a kid. _And_ for every card sent, there'll be a dollar donated to the Children's Fund!"

Buck exchanges looks with Hen because this…this actually sounds more manageable than usual. Type out some generic words to a kid hoping they would get well soon? Buck could do that on his lunch break if the alarms didn't ring and interrupt his focus.

"I've already called CHLA and they've agreed that we can go on Halloween to drop all the treats and cards off to the kids!"

There it is. The tiresome part of the whole exercise. The part that always leads to complaints. The part that always leads to protests.

"Cap-"

"No. This is for the _kids_ , Chim. We have to do this for _them_."

Buck meets Hen and Chim's disgruntled expressions and knows they're thinking the same as him: how could any of them possibly mount a resistance to _that_?

* * *

Buck _had_ thought that writing out a card would be a simple exercise but it turns into something a whole lot more challenging. The site suggests leaving positive messages and he agonises over what to type for the card because the kid is obviously sick. Empty platitudes will feel so meaningless and impersonal and generic, even though the cards are all anonymously generated to match with kids. Completely stuck, he ends up trawling Google for ideas and pieces together something that feels heartfelt enough even though it's a combination of words written by far better wordsmiths than him, and hits _Send_.

The guilt takes a few minutes to take root, but it's fierce once it does.

He copied the words of _others_ to try to cheer up a _kid_.

What sort of _monster_ does _that_?

He can't take the card back now – it's already in the system, and the system has already pinged a $1 donation – but that doesn't mean he can't write another card. He downloads the different images for the cards and tinkers on his laptop until his eyes lull, setting up a template that he can print and then handwrite a card later.

He'll donate money to the Children's Fund separately too. It's the least he can do

* * *

Bobby wrangles getting them overtime pay because it's their day off, which makes Chim slightly more amenable to the plan of visiting whatever kids are on their list. Buck still feels uncomfortable and ridiculous in his turnout pants on a day off, and when there isn't a fire, and he keeps picking at his t-shirt and the straps of the suspenders as Bobby cheerily marches them from room to room.

In his pocket, there's a specially written card for a kid. He doesn't know which kid, he doesn't even know if he'll hand it out to a random kid, but he had to write something more heartfelt to atone for his pathetic attempt at the online version.

He's almost certain its presence is burning a hole in his fire-proof pants.

"And whoooooooo do we have here?" Bobby says as they sweep into the next room. Buck fights against rolling his eyes. Chim loses the battle. Hen presses her lips together.

A little boy with a mop of curly dark blond hair blinks up at them from behind red glasses. "Um… I'm Christopher…"

"Christopher! What an excellent name!" Bobby declares and the boy smiles shyly at each of them, completely unaware that Bobby has said the same thing to every kid they've met. The lack of variety in the interactions is, by far, the most boring part of this whole enterprise. "We're here to give you some candy and a card for Halloween, is that okay?"

Christopher bobs his head, his fingers twitching into the sheets and pale yellow blanket spread across his chest. Bobby nods at Hen to fish out a card from her bag and Chim, who dramatically fumbles around for a cellophane bag of candy. Buck's not even sure why Chim's here when he obviously hates it so much, aside from the fact he's part of the team.

Christopher thanks Hen and Chim, but he still looks lost, still looks incredibly timid. Buck feels like the kid needs a hug, though he knows that would be wildly inappropriate to hug a kiss he doesn't know.

"D'you think my Daddy will do this next year?" Christopher bursts out as they turn towards the door. All four of them pause to look back at him.

"What do you mean, kiddo?" Bobby asks, moving to linger at the end of his bed.

"My Daddy… He's at school to be like you." Christopher points at Buck's gear and it takes him a moment to comprehend what the boy means.

"Your Dad's training to be a firefighter?"

Christopher nods and Bobby grins. "Well, you tell him that Station 118 visited you today and we'd be more than happy to help him out sometime. We're all part of the same family."

Christopher's eyes widen behind his glasses. "We don't got a lot of family here in LA."

"You do now!" Hen announces, reaching out to run her hand over his hair as if he's son.

Chris giggles, the tension in his little shoulders relaxing, and Bobby looks thoroughly satisfied. Buck supposes that's what this is all about for his Captain, bringing joy to kids.

Chim files out of the room first, followed by Hen and then Bobby. Buck lingers for a moment longer and Christopher's eyebrows pull together as he watches Buck shift his weight from foot to foot.

"I have…another card for you," Buck says, suddenly awkward but…this kid. This kid's father was going to be a firefighter, just like them. It feels like _this kid_ is the one he needs to give his special card to. This kid deserves something better than a random card from a stranger that they've been assigned to distribute.

"But I already got a card?" Christopher says, obviously confused, head tipping to one side.

"It's a special one." Buck inches closer, tugging it out of his pocket, nibbling at his bottom lip. "It's, um...one I made by myself. That I wanted to give to the coolest kid in here. I think the son of a future firefighter is the most deserving kid in this hospital, don't you?"

Christopher doesn't look entirely sure but he makes grabby hands towards the envelope anyway with a soft, shy smile. Buck steps close enough to be able to press it into his wavering fingers.

"Your Mister Fireman said you're from the…the 118?" Christopher says, setting the card against his tummy, fiddling with the envelope which Buck had had to Google how to make out of a sheet of paper.

He grins, tugging at his suspenders. "Yep. The best Station in the whole city!"

Christopher's smile is nervous but he gives a little nod. "I'll tell my Daddy. He could do with some friends to make him smile more."

"Sounds good, bud." He holds out his fist and Christopher presses his knuckles to Buck's. Buck mimes his fist exploding as he whirls out of the room to find the rest of his team, the sound of Christopher's laughter following him into the corridor.

And alright, maybe visiting sick kids and bringing some smiles and laughs to their faces wasn't _such_ a bad way to spend his day off. He's not like Chim. He _likes_ kids.

But no one has to tell Bobby that he's enjoying himself.

* * *

Bobby decides to dispense with their monthly charity extravaganza for November ("We'll still do something for Thanksgiving, but just for us.") in favour of planning an even _bigger_ and _better_ event for Christmas the following month. He tells Chim and Hen and Buck to contain their excitement.

Buck takes one look at Chim and Hen's disgruntled faces and wonders if they even have containers left.

During subsequent shifts and in-between calls, the team trade brainstorms and ideas. The biggest challenge appears to be determining who should receive their good will.

Children, like Halloween? (Buck's suggestion.)

The local community, like the Toy Drive? (Hen's suggestion.)

An amazing charity because they sell a whole lot of things, like the August Auction? (Chim's suggestion.)

Or something else entirely, like honouring first responders and their families? (Bobby's suggestion.)

They all have varying opinions. Some shifts Chim's more vocal with his opinion than Bobby, and then the next time Bobby will insist his idea is better than Hen's. The next shift, she'll declare she has the best idea because there are always so many unwanted gifts at Christmas and so many others desperate for holiday cheer. And then the declarations about the best plan begin anew.

They're descending from the truck after a call, having spent the return journey squabbling about ideas, when Buck notices the stranger hovering in the shadows between the fireman's pole and the staircase. He's tall, and he's got brunette hair just dying to be played with, and he looks incredibly awkward with a bashful kind of smile that dimples one of his cheeks.

Buck drops his head around a blush that makes Hen affectionately punch his shoulder when she notices, and he casts a quick glare towards her to keep quiet.

"Uh… I might have the wrong crew but- I believe you visited UCLA last month? For Halloween?"

Bobby extends a hand as he approaches. "We did, Sir. Captain Bobby Nash."

When Buck lifts his eyes towards the guy, he somehow looks even _more_ awkward than a moment ago. He clasps Bobby's hand, his posture tense but his shoulders are straight, too straight. He can't be anything other than a military man. Buck m too easily remembers the elder SEALs who had such deadly straight spines you could have used them as arrows.

"Diaz. Eddie Diaz. I- My kid, Christopher? He- He mentioned this station number when I noticed a card on his pinboard at home." Eddie releases Bobby's hand to rub the back of his neck. "I just wanted to stop by and say thank you. It's- It's real nice to know you give back to the community like that."

All four of them are nodding their heads, even as Bobby turns to fix each of them with a look that clearly says " _See? This is why we did it_."

"How is Christopher?" Hen asks, obviously remembering the kid, and Eddie's eyes drift towards her. Something lightens in his expression, something softer in his smile.

"He's good. He went in because his ankle was giving him some pain. Turned out he needed the joint stabilised a little more because of his CP." Eddie's fingers shove into the pockets of his jeans and he looks down at his feet. "Then he had appendicitis just after Halloween while he was there recovering, so he- he got two surgeries for the price of one admission, I guess."

Bobby squeezes Eddie's shoulder and even at this distance Buck can see how hard Eddie's working to keep himself contained. There's something so mournful in his words and Buck vaguely remembers Christopher's words, about his father needing some friends, and he shuffles forward a few steps. Hopefully some of the flush in his cheeks has faded.

"You want to join us for lunch?" he says, and he just prays that lunch doesn't get interrupted by calls so they can forge a connection with the trainer firefighter.

Eddie's eyes snap up towards him and they're dark and chocolatey brown and Buck just wants to offer him the world. It's a battle to maintain the eye contact and not break into a blush and a grin and drop his eyes back towards his feet. "I couldn't impose like that…"

"Nonsense! We love guests and we especially love when they're LAFD in training," Bobby insists.

Eddie shifts on the spot until the Captain gives him a small push towards the staircase, climbing the stairs with Hen at his heels. Bobby turns to look at Chim and Buck and it's with a sparkle that Buck recognises.

 _Be nice_ , because Buck has no doubt his Captain is going to try to recruit Eddie from beneath the Academy's very nose.

* * *

Eddie only stayed half an hour – or, rather, they got a call after half an hour of talking with Eddie and making sandwiches, and he wasn't there when they returned more than three hours later – but Buck had seen the interest in the other man's eyes while listening to Bobby's best attempt at a sale's pitch about working with the 118.

In return, they'd gathered that Eddie was a single parent, struggling to make ends meet while training at the Academy and drawing on the support of his Abuela and Tia. They weren't always available, though, and Eddie felt the pressure to return to Texas to be closer to his parents again. It was a constant battle after he'd moved to LA and trying to integrate himself into civilian life hadn't been easy. He hadn't said outright that he was a military man but Buck had heard enough vague words to know his initial guess had been correct.

"He must have liked us. Looks like he left his number behind on the fridge." Hen points at the post-it on the fridge as she retrieves some creamer for the mug of coffee she'd poured herself.

Buck tries not to think about texting an almost complete stranger for something like a _date_ – because maybe Eddie would become a colleague, or maybe asking him out would undo all of Bobby's hard work to get him working at the 118, or maybe Eddie wasn't even into guys – but he _does_ have another card up his sleeve to use as an excuse to get in touch: _Carla_.

* * *

Eddie's gratitude via text for Buck sending Carla's number is clear, and Buck smiles as he fiddles with his phone while he sits on the couch during his shift. It's a strange way to build a bridge between them, to strengthen a tenuous connection that he's not even sure can be properly developed. He supposes he wants to try because of Chris' words in the hospital, about Eddie needing friends to make him smile. There had been shadows beneath Eddie's eyes when he spoke about finding it tough in LA that Buck wanted to help erase, shadows within his eyes that spoke of scenes he wished he could forget.

He doesn't want to text Eddie so much that he overwhelms the guy, but he also keeps texting to find out if Carla's being helpful, how Christopher is recovering from the appendicitis, how Eddie's training is going. In return, Eddie teases out answers about Buck being from Pennsylvania and having an older sister and why the 118 is so great (Buck thinks Bobby would approve of him continuing to talk up the station, but he doesn't want to tell his Captain he's in such frequent contact with Eddie).

It starts to feel like a friendship, the development of start of a fragile bond, when it occurs to Buck that his brief relationship with Abby had started just like this: over the phone. A hollowness forms behind his chest at the thought, a pit opening in his belly, and he puts his phone to one side.

He doesn't want to think of Eddie being anything like Abby.

* * *

Their shift rotation falls on Thanksgiving and Bobby insists on cooking something decent so they can mark the occasion with their families. He points at Hen when he says it, but Buck also suspects their Captain wants to invite Athena and her kids. Chim asks if he can invite Maddie and Buck just about drops his coffee mug on the floor.

"Since _when_?" he demands, trying to lift his jaw from the floor.

Chim shrugs, brow scrunching together in thought. "A few months? We're taking it slow."

Buck is going to have _serious_ words with his sister about dating his colleague and failing to tell him, but his thoughts are dragged away by Hen.

"Should we get in touch with that Eddie guy? Invite him and his son along? He didn't seem like he had a lot of people to celebrate Thanksgiving with."

Buck's face feels warm at the look she gives him, dropping his eyes to examine the grain of the timber table like it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen. From the stove, Bobby says it's a great idea.

"Buck can message him, I'm sure," Hen says, a delighted grin on her face when Buck casts a withering look towards her. If he wasn't munching on an apple, he'd almost be tempted to throw it at her head.

* * *

It turns out that inviting all the family members to the station is a good decision because when the sirens call them to another job, Athena and Karen can keep cooking. Buck rolls his eyes because it's probably _another_ call where someone has mistaken indigestion for a heart attack and called 911. Even Hen looks like her patience is wearing thin, but maybe that's because she keeps getting pulled away from her wife.

When they troop back to the station again and when Buck climbs the stairs again, his sister has arrived after finishing her shift at the dispatch centre. She's crouched in front of Christopher, giving him a high five. The boy grins as he smacks his palm into hers and it's impossible for Buck to avoid smiling. He casts his eyes around, locating Eddie dicing vegetables in the kitchen.

He kisses the top of his sister's hair as he shuffles awkwardly closer to Eddie, knowing that some of the messages he's sent the last week or so have probably been a bit strained. "I, uh… I'm glad you came."

Eddie glances up, something unreadable in his eyes that makes Buck rock back on his heels. "I gave Chris a choice and he was far more excited about the prospect of eating turkey in a fire truck than seeing my Abuela for lunch. We'll see her after instead."

Buck's lips twitch, his gaze flicking to Karen and Athena by the stove. Both are studiously attempting not to pay any attention to them but he can tell they're hanging off every word. The fact he can't have a conversation with someone is ridiculous. "I think eating in the fire truck might be a code violation but we can certainly take him for a tour through it."

Eddie nods, shoulders lowering a little as he sets the knife down and wipes his hands on a hand towel. "Have you got a minute?"

Buck bites his bottom lip, heart squeezing in concern that he'd badly fumbled somewhere. It was always hard to tell via text, which had been their only form of communication for weeks. He nods and leads Eddie downstairs to the floor, underneath the platforms and out of sight of the nosy team and even nosier family members. Maddie had almost certainly seen them depart, but he hadn't told her anything about Eddie or Chris. It was only a friendship.

Which reminds him: he needs to talk to her about whatever this _thing_ is that she's developing with Chim.

"So uh… I don't know if I did something that made everything start to feel really weird." Eddie shoved his fingers in the pockets of his jeans and looks around, his discomfort obvious. "If I did then-"

Buck shakes his head, reaching out to touch Eddie's upper arm before he'd even processed the decision. "It's my fault. I got- I became caught in my own head. I'm sorry."

Eddie's eyes dart to the hand on his arm and it takes Buck a moment before he realises he needs to draw it back. He probably shouldn't have randomly grabbed onto someone he's only standing in front of for the second time. They might have texted back and forth but actual physical contact is a little forward.

"You...want to talk about it?" Eddie says eventually when Buck starts fiddling with his belt.

Buck knows that he owes Eddie an explanation even though he'd rather shrivel up than provide it. He'd worked so hard to separate his personal life from the station. "I got really hurt by someone who used to call and text me a lot," he says, glancing skyward as if Maddie or Bobby would overhear and march down and tell him to stop thinking about Abby. "I- I got...worried I was doing the same thing with you. It's stupid, I know, but-"

"It's not stupid." Eddie's brow furrows and Buck feels that same wave of awkwardness surround him, surround _them_ , as he stands there under Eddie's observant eyes. "Next time just warn a guy? I got really worried about you."

Buck blinks. A lot. "You- You did?"

"Sure." There's a small smile twitching at the edge of Eddie's lips which matches the twitching beat of Buck's heart. "You helped me and Chris out so much with Carla as a contact that I owe you something, you know? I've got your back, brother. I'm in your debt."

Buck tries to pretend like his heart doesn't do some sort of traitorous flutter because he really, _really_ doesn't know Eddie well enough to even suggest something that he'd need the guy's help with. But he'd like to get to know him. "Join the 118 when your academy training is complete and I'll have your back too."

Eddie grins and Buck can't help the smile that spreads across his lips to match. "Deal," Eddie says, sticking out his hand that Buck willingly clasp.

They return upstairs and Karen pulls Eddie back to dicing vegetables and Maddie tucks under his arm to chatter about calls and recipes and their next family dinner-date. Over the top of her head, he watches Chris squeal and laugh as he plays with the pinball machine alongside Harry and Denny. He can hear Karen and Athena suggest play dates of all the boys to Eddie when they notice, and there's a smile that almost appears shy as Eddie agrees to the idea because "it'd be good for Chris to make some friends in LA".

When the meal is served, Maddie sits beside Chim. Buck narrows his eyes at her, but hers are just as narrowed and keep glancing towards Eddie beside him. He suspects the next Buckley dinner is going to be filled with questions neither of them will want to answer.

In typical firefighter fashion, he's wolfed down half his plate along with Bobby, Chim and Hen - when the others appear to have barely touched their plates. The alarms go off again when Buck's fork is halfway to his mouth and the team rise to move downstairs.

"Be safe, Buck!" Chris chirps from his seat on Eddie's other side.

Buck takes the briefest chance to run his fingers over his mass of curls, flashing Eddie a smile. "Always am, kiddo."

* * *

Bobby strolls into the gym area a couple of shifts later, hands on his hips as he watches Buck do pull-ups. He looks neither impressed nor disgruntled, which is sort of disappointing considering how hard Buck tries to keep himself in shape, and Buck slowly eases down until his feet hit the floor.

"Cap?"

"Did you know Eddie can't cook?"

Buck stares at Bobby, acutely aware of how his eyebrows wriggle around on his forehead. It's like they've got a mind of their own, struggling to determine whether to rise or fall so they keep doing a weird dancing combination of both.

"Why would I know a detail like _that_?"

"Because you're…" Bobby waves a hand around in a gesture that is utterly meaningless to Buck. "You _talk_ , don't you?"

Buck won't deny he's traded texts back and forth with Eddie from time to time, but they're usually about kid-friendly weekend ideas or how Eddie can beat some of the academy training drills with proper preparation. "Not about something like cooking," he replies, wondering what's worked up Bobby so much. Is it some sort of dealbreaker for a prospective 118 recruit to be unable to cook? Because Bobby certainly hadn't been impressed with Buck's limited repertoire of food options when he'd arrived, but they'd worked on it. He'd gotten better. He had increased his vegetable intake substantially so that he was eating healthier.

"He can't _cook_ ," Bobby says with exasperation, almost a lamentation, and turns towards the staircase. Feeling awkward to be left behind, Buck trots after him. "He sent leftovers home with Harry. Harry told us it wasn't worth eating but I tried it anyway. You and Chim _combined_ couldn't produce something so awful."

"I heard that," Chim grumbles from the kitchenette, stirring creamer into his coffee.

"You were meant to," Bobby retorts but Buck's still trying to understand why Bobby's so irritated. "May said I should FaceTime him. Walk him through some recipes. Is that too much?'

Buck thinks it probably would be but Hen's laugh breaks through the conversation as she peers over the couch at them. "Athena's kids are _very_ involved in your life, Cap. Did I hear you say something about _home_? And _us_?"

Buck marvels at the way Bobby's cheeks flush and how his narrowed eyes turn round with alarm. Hen's managed to note details that flew straight over Buck's head. "That- That's not- We're not talking about Harry and May right now."

"Aren't we?" Hen says and Bobby's spluttering makes her and Chim laugh.

Buck doesn't really care what might be happening between Bobby and Athena. Their personal life deserves to be as private as they wish.

He, on the other hand, is still puzzling over whether Eddie's inability to cook is really such a travesty.

* * *

Chris is never out of their sight as they walk slowly through The Grove behind him, tracking a path towards the large and unmissable display of Santa's World. Eddie keeps getting dazzled by the fairy lights strung around all the trees and across the plaza, or the stands that sell roasted chestnuts or flavoured popcorn. They smell delicious, and it's a serious temptation for Buck as well as he presses his lips together to try to hide the grin that keeps threatening to break out at seeing some sort of childish wonder appear on the guy's face.

"Is it true you can't cook? Because there's a Barnes and Noble and-"

Eddie's head snaps towards him instead of the display of scented soy candles which are in a variety of Christmas-themed shapes, a surprised laugh bubbling out of his mouth. "How do you-" He pauses, frowns, shakes his head in realisation as he meets Buck's eyes. "Bobby told you."

Buck nods, though he'll keep Bobby's indignation about that particular discovery to himself. He never had figured out why it had riled up his Captain so badly. Maybe whatever had been sent home with Harry had been truly awful. "Athena's daughter, May, apparently suggested he should FaceTime you through how to cook various recipes."

Eddie snorts a laugh. "I don't even think that would help. My Abuela shows up to 'help' and ends up throwing me out of the kitchen. She says Chris shows more promise than I do, because the only thing I can promise is burning my house down."

Buck knows the edges of his mouth twitch before he can hide it and Eddie bumps their shoulders together as they continue walking. Chris finds the entrance to Santa's World ahead of them and Eddie makes a gesture towards the edge of the fountain while he jogs ahead to pay for some photos. Buck sits and watches Eddie talk to an elf and wave some money around, watches as Chris stands in the line and starts talking to a boy dressed in a Captain America t-shirt. The way they chat, the way Chris laughs, makes them look like friends that have known each other for ages, not just a minute of standing near each other. Chris radiates a warm joy that is apparently just as infectious to other kids as it is to Buck.

"All set," Eddie announces as he returns and sits beside Buck on the narrow perch around the fountain. "Thanks for suggesting this place. It's a lot more magical for Chris than some local mall."

Buck smiles, nodding towards where Chris has clearly made fast friends with other kids gathered in the line. "The Santa even looks like a dude with a real beard."

Eddie snorts. "Just as well. When Chris was two or three, he yanked at the fake beard of the Santa right as the photo was being taken. It's the most ridiculous photo ever of this beard hanging halfway down this guy's chest. Immediately after it, Chris started crying, like he was terrified of how the removal of the hair would affect Santa."

Buck laughs at the image Eddie constructs, resting his head on his hand as his elbow digs into a spot near his knee. "How'd the next year's visit with Santa go?"

"Terribly," Eddie deadpans, but his eyes glitter in the strings of light above them and with obvious amusement. "Wouldn't even go near the guy. I'm sure in ten years we'll be talking about it in therapy."

Their joking gradually meanders towards how Eddie's training is going and how he needs to nominate some firehouses to be placed with upon graduating in the new year. Buck resists saying the obvious – that the 118 is there, that they all seem to want to work with him, that he'd already made the suggestion that Eddie work with them – because hell, maybe this is just a friendship across stations. Eddie's already been so disconnected from establishing a life since moving to LA and the last thing Buck wants to do is shove Eddie into a station that makes him unhappy. Eddie asks after Maddie and Chim and Buck grumbles something under his breath about his sister and his colleague getting together and how utterly _weird_ that is.

"Are you spending Christmas Eve with your sister?" Eddie says while Buck watches Chris finally wave at Santa from the front of the line.

"With Chim there?" Buck wrinkles his nose because he hadn't really thought about it. He couldn't exactly ask his sister to ditch her developing relationship for him, but nor could he handle the thought of spending Christmas Eve with _Chim_ either. "We might just catch up on Christmas Day and I'll have an early night."

"You can hang out with us if you want some company," Eddie offers and Buck looks at him in surprise. "My Abuela has a bit of a party because it's Noche Buena, Christmas Eve. We attend mass beforehand and then pile back to her place. Chris gets to hang out with his cousins and we all get to eat tons of food."

It sounds like a completely different way to spend Christmas Eve and Buck finds himself nodding at the invitation, a shy sort of smile pulling at his lips. "That… That sounds really great. Thank you."

Eddie nods decisively, bumping their shoulders again as he stands to move towards where Chris is walking the red carpet away from Santa's World. He scoops his son into a hug and Chris giggles and wraps his arms around his father's neck. It surprises Buck how warm he feels at the thought of getting to spend Christmas with this family simply because he left a card in Chris' grasp at the hospital a couple of months ago.

As Buck stands to wander after the pair, an elf with a blonde bob of hair bounces over to him.

"You two have an _adorable_ son," she gushes and Buck blinks dumbly at her for several seconds before he looks after Eddie and Chris.

"Oh." He swallows. "Uh." He tries to clear the blockage in his throat again, eyes darting around as he thinks about how he really should correct her but…what would it matter if he didn't? Who would ever know? She gazes at him with such hopeful expectation and it's nice to hear someone support something that isn't even the reality. "Thank you," he eventually manages, smiling nervously in response to her beaming grin.

She flounces away to other kids still in line and Buck stands a moment longer, nibbling at his bottom lip as he stares after Eddie and Chris. They aren't a family. He and Eddie are still practically strangers. But…he doesn't mind being mistaken for someone who has a kid. He doesn't mind being mistaken for someone in a relationship with Eddie.

He hopes Maddie never finds out.

He'd never hear the end of it.

* * *

The 'Christmas Party' that Bobby sets up for the 118's first December charity event occurs a week before Christmas. He'd pulled the Captain's card to insist they honour first responders and their families, sending messages through the LAPD and LAFD channels to obtain donations of food that could be cooked into an extravaganza. The second event – a toy drive/exchange for unwanted gifts – would occur in the days after Christmas once kids began to realise their latest 'cool thing' wasn't actually what they might want. Hen and Chim seemed appeased by the decision, which Buck supposes is the only reason they're tolerating being dressed in festive red and green.

Buck stands behind one of the serving tables, spooning mashed potatoes and sliced greens and carrots onto the plates of whoever wanders past. He's lost track of how many people have passed through the 118 and he's not even convinced they're all first responders. It'd be easy for anyone to slip in off the streets in search of a free meal, but they're one of those stations that never turns anyone away. He knows there's enough food to ensure no one goes hungry, no one goes without.

"Hey."

He blinks past the glazed distance that had invaded his eyes to meet dark brown, a smile spreading across his face before he can stop it.

"You came!" His eyes drop to the pair of plates in Eddie's hands before his attention darts around to see Chris at a table with Harry next to him, his little legs swinging as his hands wave while he talks to Athena and Michael and May.

"I heard people like me were invited." Eddie arches an eyebrow, a dimple in his cheek as he evidently tries to suppress a smirk.

"People like you are always invited," he agrees instead, his cheeks warm as he spoons a scoop of mashed potato onto each plate when Eddie nods at it.

"I'll take the greens and carrots. Chris'll just have the carrots." Eddie shifts closer to the opposite side of the table. "I was thinking it's just as well I don't work here or no one would be eating."

Buck barks out a laugh as he places the combinations of vegetables on Eddie's plate. "That's okay. We'll keep you away from the cooking and just make sure you're on entertainment or clean-up duty next year."

" _Next year_?" Eddie's face almost certainly turns into a full smirk that almost certainly leaves Buck's face flaming. "Sounding awfully confident there, Buckley."

Buck nearly pokes Eddie in the chest with the metal tongs to get him to stop. "I may have to worry about closer dates. You're not cooking at your Abuela's next week, are you?"

Eddie laughs and shakes his head. "I'm banned. You're safe."

"Thank God," Buck teases and Eddie _winks_ at him before he turns away and heads towards the table with his son.

Buck's still thinking about that wink as he spoons more mashed potato and deposits more beans and broccoli and carrots on passing plates. He'sstill thinking about that wink when there aren't any more vegetables for his trays and he starts to pack them away to take upstairs to be cleaned. He's _still_ thinking about that wink when Eddie appears in front of him, hands outstretched towards the empty trays.

"I heard I should be on clean-up duty?" Eddie says and he's lucky Buck's hands are too full to punch him playfully in the shoulder. "Best to prove I'm good at _something_ before I get settled here."

Buck tries, desperately hard, not to let those words sink into his belly and disrupt the butterflies but it's impossible with the way Eddie's looking at him. _Now_ who sounds confident? Eddie makes it sound like a forgone conclusion that he'll choose the 118 but Buck doesn't want to question it. He lets the guy lift the trays from his grasp, watches as he walks off with them to climb the stairs towards the kitchen area, and wonders why his heart feels like it's racing in his chest.

"He already looks like one of us." Hen sidles up to Buck and loops her arm through his. "He obviously feels he belongs here. He obviously feels comfortable with you."

Buck's gaze drifts from Eddie at the top of the stairs towards where Chris is playing with Harry and Denny. A small smile tugs at his lips when he thinks about what the elf had said a little over a week ago, that warm bubble in his chest that kept making him smile goofily every time he thought of it. "It's good to see our family growing."

Hen nods, though the grin on her face suggests something else entirely that Buck's not sure he wants to ask about. She pats his arm and then pulls away to wander towards Karen, folding her wife into her arms. Buck ignores the small pang he feels at wishing he had someone to hold onto like that when he looks at them, the proximity of Christmas leaving him feeling nostalgic for all that he doesn't have.

* * *

Buck can't remember the last time he went to a church for Christmas. He thinks he was probably a kid, before Maddie left home with Doug. It wasn't something they did often, usually if his grandparents were visiting from Boston, so Buck feels very out of place in the church beside Eddie. Even so, there's an odd sort of peace that flows through him. The church has a quiet calmness, something so different from all the chaos and carnage of being on shift. He doesn't know the hymns that are sung and he doesn't really listen to the sermons that switch between English and Spanish. Instead, his eyes wander around the stained-glass windows and the assorted iconography within the place. Maybe he feels settled because Eddie's thigh is pressed against his. Chris is tucked into Eddie's other side beneath his arm, little fingers fiddling against his father's open palm.

The solitude Buck finds in the church is in sharp contrast to the noise of Eddie's Abuela's place. The house bulges at the seams with Tios and Tias whose names Buck couldn't catch, cousins that stream from every nook and cranny from the house, other strangers that he's no longer sure are family or friends or neighbours. He feels like he hovers irritatingly close to Eddie but Chris had peeled away with a laugh after some of his cousins almost as soon as they'd arrived and Buck didn't know anyone else. He wasn't sure who else to hover near.

"So how did you and Eddie meet? I don't think he said." A young brunette woman slides up to Buck's side when Eddie takes a bathroom break. Buck's sure he was introduced to her but his mind spins with all the names and she seems to be less than forthcoming as she nurses a wineglass in her hand.

He rubs the back of his neck. "Uh… I met Chris first, actually. When he was in CHLA? My Captain did a charity drive with our station for Halloween."

The woman's eyes narrow as she looks him up and down. "PD or FD?"

"FD." Buck recognises how her wariness shifts into acceptance and he wants to say that LAPD is staffed with amazing people like Athena, but he knows there's a difference in how people react to cops compared to firefighters and he'd not going to pick a fight with her over it.

She nods, pursing her lips as her gaze sweeps back across the party. "So you're working with him?"

"Not yet. My Cap is hoping he'll choose our house when he graduates from the academy." Maybe he shouldn't be telling her this. Maybe she'll pass it on to Eddie and freak him out. Maybe Eddie's only been joking about cleaning up after Christmas next year.

"Are you allowed to work with people you're dating?"

Buck just about drops his beer as he gapes at her, and she throws her head back with a bright laugh.

"We- We're not-" Eddie hadn't invited him to a Christmas party with his family as a _date_ , had he? God. They hadn't even known each other for two months and had only seen each other a handful. They were still far more prone to texting given Buck's shift schedules and Eddie's exhaustion after being at the academy. "We're _not_ -"

"Ri, stop terrorising Buck." Eddie's hand is light at Buck's shoulder and it makes him wonder if such a simple touch is laced with so much more. The thought of being mistaken for dating Eddie at a family function rattles him more than he'd like to admit. "My sister is a menace. You shouldn't listen to her."

Buck blinks between the two of them and now that it's been pointed out to him, he can see similarities in the sparkle of their eyes and the bow of their lips. She's looking at him like he should've known or remembered her, but now that he knows she's Eddie's sister, he won't forget her again in a hurry. "She's, uh… She's okay."

"Adriana doesn't know _how_ to be okay without starting a riot." For all Eddie's grumbling, he slings an arm around her shoulders and presses a kiss to her hair before his gaze returns to Buck. Adriana looks smug as she lifts her glass of wine to her lips and Buck tries not to think about how Eddie's _sister_ implied they were dating. He's not sure what to make of _that_. Worse, he's also not sure what Eddie might think of that.

The prediction of plenty of food is correct and Buck feels overwhelmed by the array across the large dining table and serving counters. Eddie explains the various dishes, ranging from pozole and tamales to bacalao a la Vizcaina and romeritos en revoltijo. He talks about pavo navideño and ensalada rusa and teaches Buck how to spice up his atole or ponche navideño with a nip of rum mixed in. There's so much food and it's all so delicious that Buck thinks he might be almost as stuffed as the turkey on the table. While he eats, various aunts and uncles offer stories about Eddie and Chris that make him smile or laugh, and Adriana floats by frequently with a smirk on her face that makes Buck's cheeks keep filling with heat.

Chris shows up in the middle of Isabel explaining Eddie's terrible cooking habits and crawls into his father's lap. It takes a moment for Buck to realise that his eyes are lapsing towards closed while Eddie cradles the back of his head against his chest, small fingers scrunching. Buck watches the sleepy sweetness in Chris' eyes with some degree of fascination while Eddie presses a kiss to the top of his son's head.

"You're not going to stay awake for the volteado de piña or buñuelos, mijo?" Eddie teases and even though Buck's not sure what those are, he could listen to Eddie speak Spanish in that soft and affectionate tone for hours.

Chris' eyes flutter, his fingers tugging at Eddie's shirt. "Wake me up when-" He's cut off by a yawn and Buck watches Eddie press his lips together to hide a smile. "-when 'Buelita serves 'em…"

Eddie hums and tucks his son closer, casting a knowing look towards Buck beside him. "I think once we've had dessert, we need to get this kid home," he whispers and Buck's mind just about trips over itself at the use of _we_ and _home_ in the same sentence. His gaze darts towards where Adriana had been a few minutes ago but she's drifted away again, so all he can do is nod dumbly at Eddie's suggestion.

'Dessert' turns out to be the Mexican version of an upside-down pineapple cake and the buñuelos are similar to doughnuts. Eddie tries to rouse Chris for a buñuelo but there's no stirring the kid once he's asleep on Eddie's chest and Buck can only smile at how adorably attached Chris is to his father. In the end, Eddie balances his plate on his knee to eat the dessert that Buck retrieved for him while avoiding Adriana's eyes. She'd been on dessert-spooning apparently, and her grin had been absolutely delighted.

Isabel starts insisting on seconds and Buck protests, because he already feels sick from too much food. Maybe Eddie understands the pain because he interrupts with a more legitimate excuse to avoid more food.

"Time to get this one into bed so Santa can work his magic, Abuela," Eddie tells her with a wink and she smiles fondly, ruffling a hand through Chris' curls. The boy barely stirs, his face slack with sleep.

"I will see you in the afternoon?"

Eddie nods, rising to his feet to give her a kiss on the cheek while she kisses both of his. One by one, Eddie moves around to his relatives to say farewell and offer well wishes for Christmas Eve and Day. Buck stands to one side, feeling unsure whether he's meant to say goodbye to a group of very friendly strangers.

"I was joking, you know." Adriana appears at his side after walking through the archway to Isabel's family room, munching on a buñuelo. "About the dating. I'm sorry if it freaked you out."

Buck's gaze wanders from Chris cuddled into Eddie's arms, to her. She at least _appears_ apologetic and vaguely uncomfortable. It's a big difference compared to all the knowing grins ever since she _had_ freaked him out.

She sighs and nibbles at a bit more of her buñuelo. "I just want him to be happy, you know? He went through so much in Afghanistan, and then he came home to battle with Shannon before he's had to raise Chris on his own." She lifts her glass of ponche navideño from a side table to take a sip. "So I kid around but if he's got a friend in you, then thank you for connecting him to something here that makes him feel like he belongs. Thank you for looking out for him and my nephew."

Buck's not sure he would have gone so far as to think Eddie _belongs_ here in LA just yet but the edge of his lips twitch in a shy sort of smile at her gratitude. "I'm LAFD. We don't leave anyone behind."

Adriana nods and pats his arm, flashing him a grin laced with genuine warmth. "You're good people. I hope he keeps you in his life, Buck."

Buck's cheeks are still flushed when Eddie catches his eyes several minutes later and nods towards the front door of Isabel's house to leave.

There's a quiet silence in Eddie's truck on the drive back to his house. Chris' quiet snuffles in the backseat are rhythmical and soothing and though Buck has a vague idea of where they are, he's glad Eddie is driving because he knows how to navigate from his grandmother's house. Which is precisely why they'd agreed on Eddie driving them all after Buck had parked his Jeep outside of Eddie's place.

"I want to nominate the 118 as my station after I finish at the academy," Eddie announces while they sit at a red light. His fingers drum against the steering wheel to silent music but his tone is laden with apprehension. There's a long pause after he speaks that seems to be filled with unease but Buck's not sure why.

"…but?" Buck eventually prompts when the light turns green and Eddie resumes driving.

"No buts. Just… Would that be okay with you? Do you think everyone else would be okay with it?"

Buck glances out the window at the passing lights and dimmed shopfronts, seeing the ghostly reflection of his smile in the passenger glass. "That would definitely be okay with everyone."

Eddie's breath releases out of him slowly, like a deflating balloon. Buck wonders just how much of that tension had been coiled in Eddie's shoulders for hours, days, weeks. He wonders just why Eddie has been so worried about it all. "And you?"

Buck turns to meet Eddie's brief look with a nervous smile before his dark eyes return to the road. "It's okay with me too, Eds. I'm more than happy to work with you."

He can see the curve of Eddie's lips in the passing lights and he can't help the more honest and pleased smile that spreads across his face too. They're going to work together. That'll happen. He'll get to see more of Chris. Adriana's question rings in his head but he'll cross that bridge if it ever comes up a whole lot later. Right now, he's just overjoyed at getting to work with Eddie.

When Eddie pulls into his driveway, Buck suggests he carry Chris to allow Eddie to open the door and flick on the lights towards his son's room. Eddie fiddles with his keys in his lap, chewing at his bottom lip for a moment. "You sure you can carry him?"

Buck looks at him like he's stupid. "I carry men your size out of burning buildings. You think I can't carry an eight-year-old?"

Eddie snorts a laugh and concedes the point with a tilt of his head, his keys jangling in his palms as they each climb out of the truck to fulfil their respective duties. Chris' little fingers snag in Buck's shirt like they're on a reflex, his head resting against Buck's shoulder once he's tugged the kid out of the car. He moves carefully from the truck to the front door, up the porch steps to follow Eddie into the house.

"Bucky?" Chris mumbles, bleary eyes blinking up at him. His gaze wanders from Buck's face to the walls of his home, before they lapse close again with a soft hum.

"Just helping you get to bed, bud," he murmurs, brushing his hand over the curls of his hair and trying to soothe the kid back to sleep. .

Chris hums, obviously still more asleep than awake. "Thank you for making m'Daddy smile again, Buck..."

It takes Buck a moment or two to remember Chris pleading with him to help his father smile more when they met at the hospital a couple of months ago. He hides his smile in the kiss he leaves on top of the boy's head. "Hopefully the 118 will give you and him some extra family here too, kiddo."

Chris' lips turn upwards in a tired smile but it's not clear if he'd even heard or processed the words as Buck finishes carrying him into the boy's room. Eddie's already there, arms outstretched as he lifts Chris out of Buck's grasp. "I'll get him changed for bed. Thank you for carrying him in."

"Any time," Buck promises, knowing he means it all the way down to his soul. He steps backwards out of the room to offer some privacy, his heart feeling warm at the sleepy mumblings of Chris, at the prospect of getting to work with Eddie, of getting to bring Eddie into his 118 family after he'd spent the afternoon and evening with Eddie's family.

He hopes it's the start of a wonderful friendship.

…and he'll pointedly _not_ think about Adriana's implications of spending Christmas Eve with the extended members of the Diaz family.

At least, he'll not until he's home at his apartment, alone, and can wonder in the privacy of his own space if _that_ is ever a possibility.

For now, he'll just be grateful for what he has.

* * *

_**~FIN~** _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm saying 'fin' but I may well play in this sandpit again at some point...


End file.
